Fire and security doors producer Bitcon Industries has been contracted to supply doors to an array of new shopping centres throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

Jet Park-based Bitcon director Bill Vollmer comments that the company is supplying its Rubidor fire doors for the upgrading and construction of new commercial developments.

“Bitcon’s Rubidor Class A, B and D hinged fire doors comply with the requirements of SANS 1253:2003. “The door cores are constructed from a magnesium- oxychloride, monolithic-reinforced insulating material with exceptional fire resistance and mechanical strength,” he points out.

ompliance with the national standard is based on successful tests for stability, integrity, insulation and impact resistance. He adds that the doors are clad with a variety of finishes, including masonite, timber veneer, galvanised sheeting and formica laminate, and edged with hardwood lipping. Double doors are fitted with rebated stainless steel meeting stiles.

Moreover, he notes that the company also produces sliding fire doors in the Class A, B and D categories, which fulfils the national test standard. The doors are available in single, biparting or double directional format,Vollmer notes.

Further, some of the organisations Bitcon is supplying its Rubidor fire doors to include a new multimillion Namibian dollar retail, residential and office development in Windhoek, for which hinged fire doors have been ordered by subcontractor, Wispeco Namibia,

Also, the hinged Rubidor fire door will be installed at the Game store, in the Mlimani City Mall, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, following an order from Winson International Trading.

Other clients include the R1.5-billion new Ballito Junction 65 000 m2 shopping mall, in Ballito, on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, which will also be protected by Bitcon hinged fire doors supplied to the main contractor, WBHO Construction.

More Clients
Vollmer says that other clients that have been supplied with Rubidor fire doors include market pioneer and developer McCormick Property Development’s new 30 000 m2 Alex Mall, being built on the junction of the N3 highway and Vincent Tshabalala (London) road at the gateway to Alexandra, Sandton, by construction company Mike Buyskes Construction.

“For this project, Bitcon supplied fire doors, security doors as well as electrical transformer room doors,” he says.

The expansion of the Vaal Mall, in Vanderbijlpark, has seen main contractor Giuricich Brothers order Bitcon fire doors for the R420-million contract for 15 000 m2 of additional retail space to boost the ten-year-old shopping centre’s footprint to 65 000 m2. Additionally, a new Nu-Metro cinema complex of about 2 520 m2 at the Parkview Shopping Centre, in Garsfontein road, Pretoria, has incorporated Bitcon fire doors.

“Bitcon has also supplied fire doors to various building contractors for extensions and renovations of several Pick n Pay stores in areas such as Knysna, Ilanga, Southdowns, Randpark Ridge and also at the Carlton Centre, in Johannesburg,” he comments.

South Africa’s largest self-storage property fund, StorAge, also ordered Bitcon fire doors for one of its new facilities in Essexwold, Johannesburg, Vollmer says.

He explains that Bitcon, now part of safety marked products provider Vitrex Group, was established in 1967, initially specialising in the manufacturing of door and window frames. Vollmer adds that it then entered the fire door manufacturing market in 1975, subsequently expanding its product range to include security doors, lead-lined doors for areas exposed to radiation, as well as electrical transformer room doors.